From Bluetooth earbuds to cables and computer accessories, Belkin have been supplying the tech to keep us going for decades.

Recently Belkin released a powered Thunderbolt (USB-C connection) Hub to extend our connectivity on home based laptops.

Current laptops simply do not come with ports. Apple MacBooks being the worst offender, as they go for a sleeker and thinner design the ports are minimised to almost non existent.

True there is a cloud option for additional storage, which manufacturers are steering us towards. But cloud just doesn’t always offer enough space, unless you subscribe and pay a monthly fee. And it’s not available if you’re working offline.

In the box Belkin supply everything you need to get started. A Thunderbolt cable, your mains power adaptor and of course the Hub.

The new Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub gives you four individually powered Thunderbolt ports for external screen, external drives and your smartphone, all capable of up to 40Gbps data transfer speed and 96 watt fast charging.

Testing out the Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub saw me being able to plug an external portable monitor, my phone and an external drive all at once without failure or compromise.  Although mall in size the Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub is not portable being that it does require mains power.

This said, the hub does not take up a large footprint on your desk and it is a much needed accessory to your home desk setup to keep yourself connected, add additional storage or that all important extra screen.

It’s simple to setup even more simple to use. If you have a lot of peripherals that require USB connectivity the Belkin Connect Thunderbolt 4 5-in-1 Core Hub is where it’s at.

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When you’re not at work or play where do you place your headset?

On the desk, on the floor or if like me you unplug them and move them forgetting where you left them.

For us gamers and content creators Satechi has an extremely robust solution with a bonus. Their Aluminium Headphone Stand Hub.

From the box it’s a teeny amount of effort to get your headset back into the pride and place it should be.

The mounting arm slides nicely and securely in to the base. This base also being a very handy USB and 3.5mm jack hub.

Using a lengthy USB-C cable from the Stand’s base it will expand your ports by way of two additional USB ports.

Clever. Satechi are literally making use of what would otherwise be wasted space.

The brushed aluminium stand is super strong. Not that headphones, professional audio or gaming are super heavy to begin with, it’s good to know that your fav headphones are secure and out of the way.

To the rear of the Headset Stand is something many producers of similar products forget – cable management.

If you use a wired headset, loop the cable around the back so as to not have too many spaghetti wires snaking across your desk.

Much like the previously reviewed Satechi Monitor Stand with Hub, Satechi’s Aluminium Headset Stand is a simple product made more useful.

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Tablet to laptop, the new Logitech Combo Touch brings out the ultimate functionality of your Series 5 iPad, all the while protecting it.

Logitech, known for their PC peripherals and gaming gear (Logitech G) have stepped in to the Apple market with their just released Combo Touch (also officially approved by Apple).

A hard wearing yet soft fabric iPad case for Series 5 ,11 and 12.9 inch models, with detachable keyboard.

The rear of the case features a magnetic flip out stand so you can prop up your iPad for video calls, streaming visual media or vlogging.

The TouchPad Pro keyboard is what transforms your iPad in to a laptop like experience.

Fully backlit the slim chiclet full QWERTY keyboard with media and lighting controls has a trackpad with multi-touch functionality and click, just like we have come to know from a laptop or notebook.

There is no need to separately charge up the keyboard, it draws power from the iPad, yet doesn’t appear to impact the tablet’s battery life whatsoever.

The iPad auto detects the keyboard, there’s no need for fussing about syncing with bluetooth and installing through an app.

That said, there is an optional app available, but this is only to keep the firmware of the Combo Touch up to date.

By using the trackpad you’ll get an on screen pointer. Open apps, close apps, clear the screen and using multi-touch go multi-window.

My iPad has three purposes in life; music and media streaming, gaming and writing stuff.

The Logitech Combo Touch ticks all boxes for me. Infact this review you’re reading right now is being tapped out on the Combo Touch keyboard.

By removing the keyboard and using the rear flip stand i can play games and of course have Netflix and Shudder marathons.

The super light-weight keyboard attachment is magnetic and joins the case portion via small pins. You can opt you keep the keyboard attached and fold over as a front cover for your iPad.

The Combo Touch is not an accessory – it’s a necessity. Whether you use it at home or for business it fully brings out the potential that your tablet is capable of and ease of use is second to none.

Available in black or the new light grey, Logitech’s Combo Touch is one of those enhancements you didn’t know you needed until you use it.

And once you start with a Combo Touch you’re not going to ever want to go back to life without it.

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Mac owners, do you run out of ports? Need to prop up your iMac to eye level? Satechi have got you sorted with their new monitor stand.

The super simple device in brushed aluminium the weighted stand is designed to hold your beloved iMac, raising it up a few inches and is designed to take the weight up to half a KG or 1 lb 3 oz which is enough for any sized iMac.

Monitor stands tend to leave ‘wasted space’ underneath – so Satechi have made use of this by way of adding additional ports.

Superb cable management on the underside of the stand sees a USB-C cable builtin to supply power to the x3 additional USB 3.0 ports, x1 HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack and SD card reader.

Satechi supply a USB-C to USB adaptor too.

You iMac will instantly recognise the expansion and boom, there you go, you can plug more stuff in.

Using power from the desktop the Satechi Monitor Stand and Hub does not need any mains power.

But if you’re not an iMac user and say, use a MacBook or PC laptop or notebook with little to no external offerings this unit is ideal to prop up your laptop and allow you to plug in all of your peripherals including a secondary monitor.

For the use of USB wired keyboard and mouse the Satechi Monitor Stand and Hub works well.

Adding an additional monitor  via the hub’s HDMI- well there’s a catch.

Your main device needs to be able to be able to run a secondary screen via USB-C. This is not going to work if you use this on a laptop without that functionality already builtin.

I also found that the hub was a bit under powered for larger external drives.

A 4TB SSD was hit and miss. At times it would run fine – but for the most part, wouldn’t show in the PC or Mac OS.

Lower power external drives such as 1TB and less tended to be okay.

Satechi have designed this for iMac – and while it does work on PC there does need to some forgiveness in the hubs low power aspect (which is not so much of an issue for iMac) and this is of course fully dependant on your device’s ability to be able to provide enough power to the hub in the first place.

Priced right when compared to similar stands of the same ilk (I’ve seen some out there in the wild that are a stand only, no hub, and they are more expensive than this one).

The Satechi Monitor Stand and Hub does exactly what it is designed to do and I’d recommend using for an iMac to make the most out of what the hub is capable of.

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Ever need to use your iPad but keep your hands free at the same time?

It happens more often than you’d realise. From the kitchen to the bedroom, home workspace to the garage  and for content creators – TwelveSouth have the solution.

Their Hover Bar Duo is designed for Apple’s iPad, all sizes, and able to hold up to 12.9 inch (you can also use for iPhone – or pretty much any smartphone or tablet) and they give you two options of handsfree from the box.

Make use of the supplied desk clamp to mount above or below the 15 inch bendable arm – just make sure you’ve secured the clamp well tight.

If this isn’t going to work for you TwelveSouth supply the weighted desk or table top stand.

Personally for me the desk or table top stand worked better – it makes the iPad with stand more portable from room to room.

The stand and holder all twist and turn so whichever mount you opt for you can have the iPad secured at eye level for work, play and media streaming.

The Hover Bar Duo is made from super strong metal – including the joints – however the secure cogs are plastic, so as mentioned it’s super important so make sure these areas tight as can be. Especially if you have a larger iPad.

At times I use my iPad as a secondary (sometimes third) screen via cable to my MacBook- the Hover Bar Duo was an excellent accessory in this respect and something I apparently needed without realising it.

Was also fantastic when playing games with a bluetooth controller.

Priced exceptionally well and endorsed (and also sold) by Apple the Hover Bar Duo is another set of hands for when yours are preoccupied.

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Lizard Skins produce a range of anti-slip textured grips for game controllers. We were sent a pack for the PlayStation 4 DualShock and an Xbox One Controller to test.

I’ve got kids. I usually find out that they’ve been on the PS4 or Xbox One when I pick up the sweaty controllers. Both controllers are a bit slippery anyway, without having had the greasy fingers on pre-teens mauling them.

Enter Lizard Skins and their rubbery Durasoft Polymer Controller Grips. Each pack contains four pieces, shaped to fit around the controllers’ grips. The rubberised shapes peal of the backing sheet to reveal the adhesive for sticking them on the controllers. The result is a non-slip makeover for your gaming controllers.

The instructions clearly show where to start applying the skins (lining them up along the controllers’ seams) and where to start flattening them down. Applying the Lizard Skins is a task the gets my OCD twitching, as they are nigh-on impossible to get 100% right. A bit of perseverance, though and the final results were not far off.

Applying the Lizard Skin to the Xbox One Controller was a lot easier than the PS4 DualShock. The Xbox One Controller isn’t quite as round as the PS4 controller. If you are not careful, it is easy to crease the grip and then over-stretch it as you try to smooth it out. A few times I had to peel the grip back quite a bit to properly reposition it.

Once in place, the Xbox Controller felt very firm in the hand, the Lizard Skin grip completely covering the part of my hand in contact with the controller’s body. The black and white camo pattern also looks very nice. The positioning of the grip also stops the Xbox One Controller from slipping off a table, but this is not the case with the PS4 grip.

Not only was the PS4 grip trickier to position, but it also doesn’t quite line up with the way I hold the controller, unlike with the Xbox One. I don’t think this is a fault of the grip design, more about the ergonomics of the DualShock controller. Whereas with the Xbox controller the hand position is similar regardless of size, you hold the DualShock slightly differently with bigger hands. My grubby kids’ hands fit nicely within the covered area. Of the two, the orange colour of the PS4 Lizards Skin grip looked more striking, but would probably look even better on a white controller.

Not only do the Lizard Skins give the controllers a non-slip feel they also set them apart from the crowd, offering a nice bit of personalisation to otherwise dull stock devices. And, if you grow tired of the Lizard Skins, they are easy to remove (but likely not reusable).

These stylish, relatively easy-to-apply, gaming grips could easily be dismissed as a gimmick, but I actually found them pretty cool. Definitely worth checking out. Lizard Skins are available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series S|X, and Switch controllers in a variety of different patterns and colours.

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Powerplay have been making gaming accessories and peripherals to enhance and better our play for years.

Budgetly priced and super quality – they’ve have set the pricing tier for what all of us gamers should expect for quality gaming add-ons.

Recently Powerplay released their Dual Controller Charging Station for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (PS4), we received an Xbox kit to review.

From the box there’s a few bits included to the likes of A/C adaptor charging cable and the base. Also included is two rechargeable batteries for your Xbox One controller (remember Xbox One released with controllers that take AA batteries).

Let’s face it there’s nothing more frustrating than being in the zone and your controller dies. It’s happened to all of us, including me.

Whether you frequently play solo or dual player, the Charging Station will accommodate up to two controllers at a time and charge them equally.

If you prefer to be a lone wolf when gaming at home, ideally you should have two Xbox One controllers, one in use and one on standby – and that’s of course where the Powerplay Dual Controller Charging Station comes in super handy.

Neon base lights at the foot of the Charging Station indicate whether your controller is charged (green) or charging (red). Easy.

The rechargeable batteries give a good few hours of uninterrupted play and take approximately an hour so to charge up from totally empty.

The included batteries have gold plated external connectors specific to the Charging Station’s dock.

Keep the batteries plugged in to your Xbox One controlpad and place the controller upside down in to one of the two bays and like a glove, slides in and lights up.

Boom you’re refueling.

It’s a basic and simple dock that really every console gamer, either PS4 or Xbox One should have.

Powered by an included mains adaptor you can also charge via a USB 3.0 port – though it is like trickle charging and can take a while.

The Powerplay Dual Controller Charging Station comes in at around $40 (NZD). Dirt cheap when you factor in that you get two rechargeable batteries with the kit.

Colour me impressed.

I’ve struggled with the cable tangles, the dead batteries when I finally have a moment to play and even the missing controller (no one has come up with a quick solution for that yet), so having this Dual Charging Station on hand is a necessity. I know where my Xbox One controllers are (or should be) and they’re always charged and ready for action.

A must have accessory – the Powerplay Dual Controller Charging Station.

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AirBag is a genuine leather micro-mini bag made exclusively to carry and protect AirPods and AirPods Pro. Wear this petite vintage pouch over your shoulder, around your neck or ditch the strap for the little leather top handle.

A metal snap button keeps your AirPods Pro Charging Case safe and secure. AirBag works with wireless charging and has an opening for Lightning charging. Watch heads turn when you carry AirBag down the runway, onto the subway or into your office.

AirPods Pro are small, delicate and expensive. Keep them, and their charger, safe and secure with AirBag. This leather carrier protects all sides of your AirPods Charging Case while keeping your primo pods out of sight. AirBag’s shoulder strap keeps this mini case on your body and within easy reach so you can listen to your favourite books and podcasts.

Why carry your AirPods in a tiny AirBag? To avoid having to dig through your purse, backpack or computer bag to find that tiny AirPods Charging Case. With AirBag, your AirPods are always conveniently by your side so you never have to go looking for them.

The AirBag for AirPods will be available in strictly limited quantities on Twelve South’s official website.

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PlayStation 4 gets a Back Button, literally.

The DualShock4 control-pad peripheral sees an additional two paddle buttons added to the rear of the controller, which can be programmed (up to 16 differing Profiles) for quick actions in gameplay.

With the centered circular screen which is also the config mechanism, you can either opt for the default setup or program your own mix of two quick keys (any two from X, Triangle, Square and Circle) which ideally would be the most used keys in a game that you play frequently.

The PlayStation Back Button connect to the accessory ports on the front of the control-pad and wraps around the back.

I was surprised at how natively comfortable the Back Button feels and using the additional tap paddles to quickly perform actions in any game you play ended up being a classic case of you don’t know what you need to enhance your gameplay until you have it.

For eSports gamers the PlayStation Back Button is a must have especially in fierce competitions.

The PlayStation Back Button does not replace any already existing builtin controller functionality, it merely enhances it and enables instant action for two programmed the keys, as you would assign on a PC keyboard.

The left and right under paddles are sensitive though – there were many occasion where I bumped either paddle by mistake – so you need to be aware that they are there when in gameplay – or even navigating the PS4’s Homescreen or PSN Store.

A worthy accessory if you need that quick in-game action or about to partake in a eSports or online battle.

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